how much attention do you pay to musical key

[NuEra]

Do you...

Always write in minor keys?

Pick a key signature first and then try and write a song in it?

Use interesting key signatures? "Today I'm going to write a song in Eb phrygian."

Push random notes until it sounds good?


I guess this could have been a poll, but I am more interested in the discussion part, than the poll part.

[przechuy]

i do everything on ear,never learned musical theory.I mean professionally,because on my own i learned what to do if i want to hit minor sounding stuff,major sounding,fifths or something.I just heard there is something like writing "in key" but never (consciously) done it.

So i guess i should vote on "no i never used it".


I learned through practice what,in my oppinion,sounds good when i try to progress or write a riff ,i know where theoretically should hit next sounds in order to sound more or less like i want.

I dont want to write like smartass because i do not sound like superb producer ( yet :p ),just trying to answer on question

[admin]

I used to know nothing about keys back in the Hooj days. But a couple of years ago I felt I was being held back by not knowing. The day I learned keys I was able to bang out 3-4 melodic type of riffs/tracks I had never done before.

For me it's a big time saver and helps make everything sound more 'right'. And I dont have the problem of hearing the track the next day and thinking 'hmmm something's wrong but I can't put my finger on it'.

Most house is done in A minor btw, all white keys.

[Waylo]

I'm in the "bang on the keys until it sounds right" camp. But I do agree some knowledge of theory would certainly help me to compose quicker, and avoid thoes next day... "does that note sound right?"

I'd also love to learn more about chord changes-- there seem to be a few default chord changes that most tunes use. We could probably isolate and learn those all in a day if we had a map.....

[przechuy]

I'm in the "bang on the keys until it sounds right" camp. But I do agree some knowledge of theory would certainly help me to compose quicker, and avoid thoes next day... "does that note sound right?"

I'd also love to learn more about chord changes-- there seem to be a few default chord changes that most tunes use. We could probably isolate and learn those all in a day if we had a map.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_progression

http://www.hotfrets.com/songanator.asp

[admin]

The great thing about knowing the key is then you've got a limited set of notes to work with. You can concentrate more on what will work rather than what won't. One of those good limitations.

There are some standard changes. Will certainly be a topic to cover for the new site content.

[sven hauck]

I generally go by ear from having played guitar along side of a record (perhaps poorly, hehe).

Usually if something sounds out of key to me it sort of undulates against the other parts.

But I usually write using the white keys as the root note.

[przechuy]

The great thing about knowing the key is then you've got a limited set of notes to work with. You can concentrate more on what will work rather than what won't. One of those good limitations.

There are some standard changes. Will certainly be a topic to cover for the new site content.

yeah,i tried to read some stuff,but damn it is hard to understand without musical background ,i really sometimes feel retarded with it and thought about some lessons or tutorials ,if i find something in my city i will probably subscribe...

[admin]

When I first looked at some books about theory it didn't make sense at all. There's so much to it that at first it's difficult to for it to sink in.

[przechuy]

exactly.Though,i have smart little tool that helps me with chords